Does Shoulder Surgery for a Labral Tear Improve Outcomes?

I posted a link last week to a research study that showed arthroscopic knee surgery--the most common orthopedic surgery in the world--to be ineffective for knee pain. Another study was recently published in the British Medical Journal regarding another common orthopedic surgery and the results are similar. Shoulder surgery for a labral tear is also one of the most common orthopedic procedures performed and one for which the rehabilitation and recovery is a long, hard process. A randomized trial was recently conducted with 118 patients divided into three groups: the patients were randomly assigned to either receive labral-repair surgery (40 patients), biceps tenodesis (a release of the biceps tendon, which is an alternative procedure for labral tears), or sham (fake) surgery. The results? Each group had similar outcomes, meaning the two invasive surgeries to “repair” the labrum were no better than if no surgery was performed at all. Another reason to come see us and find out how we can get your shoulders and joints feeling better without surgery. Even if you have a labral tear. http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2017/05/12/bjsports-2016-097098.long